Friday, November 29, 2013

Just a quick note re our leather update this week. We've had to pull some of it back off the shelves as it appears to be contaminated with mildew. We are currently talking to our wholesaler to find out if it can be replaced or if all their stock is the same. We will keep you posted - and sorry for the disappointment!!!

Favourite colours are a matter of personal choice - but there is a large cultural influence as well. My personal love of black would apparently serve me better in China or Japan than it does here - although, by now, I think most people have figured out that dressing in black doesn't necessarily mean I am going to a funeral. ;-)

The following infographic only scratches the surface, I'm sure - but it's fun to read and compare.

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Well Howdy. I'm Jungle Jim, and I'm here to warn you about the winter weather and doing what we like to call the Snow Slither. The weather out there is frightful, y'all, and gosh, the beads are so delightful, and since we've decided to have a big sale, then y'all might as well let the winds wail!
Ye-up - we'all have having a Happy Winter sale - 2 weeks of 25% off gosh-near ever'tun in the place - the kit and the kaboodle, the lock, the stock, and the barrel, AND the whole nine yards. But that said - there is actually some new stuff in the store if'n y'all want to take a sec to eyeball this fine new leather. Gen-u-ine leather - well - 'ceptin' fer the snakey stuff which is Gen-u-ine Simulated Snake, cuz we don't hold with messing with no real snakes. If you just want a quick boo at the new items only - then hop on over to this link and you'll see 'em there, all nice and tidy-like.
OK - back to the sale stuff. Here's the low-down: When:
The sale started Midnight Wed Nov 27th and runs to midnight Wed Dec 11. That would be local time, pardner. Good ole Eastern Standard time. What:Most everything is done includified, but there are some 'ceptions, so pay attention.

Things tend to get a mite crazy around here during a sale, so we have a few rules to make it go more smoothly. Y'all don't make me come over there, ya hear?

No frequent beader points awarded on sale or discounted merchandise. No frequent beader points will be redeemed during the sale neither.

No Coupons or additional discounts.

The discount is NOT retroactive and does not apply to previously purchased merchandise.

No special orders or special bulk orders will be accepted at the sale prices.

No Rain Cheques. No backorders. When it's gone, it's gone. The early bird gets the beads. Online orders will be picked in the order in which we receive them.

Sale ends Midnight, Wed Dec 11 (Toronto time) (Well - in-store it ends at closing time - because we won't make the staff stay until midnight.). If you haven't checked out by then - the items in your shopping cart will revert to regular prices. (And we can't change that - sorry. That's technology for ya.)

If you are placing a phone or fax order, please ensure that you have the sku/product numbers ready, as well as the description. Same goes for email orders - our order-pickin' staff gets as ornery as a bull moose with thorn in it's butt, so you do not wanna mess with them.

We will be VERY busy during the sale. Having this information ready when processing your order, will help us get your order out the door in a reasonable time frame.

We all do anticipate that shipping will most likely be delayed by a day or two from our usual timeframe. If you need this stuff pronto - we suggest you shop early. The further we get into it, the less likely it will be that your stuff will arrive pre-holiday - what with the holiday rush and the holiday closings and all.

and run to the following Wed midnight.

The holidays are almost upon us and New Year's celebrations are right behind, but 2013 isn't finished yet. There are still great classes to come out to at BeadFX! These classes and open sessions are terrific opportunities to complete a list minute gift for someone special - including you!

These classes and open sessions are scheduled for December 1 - 15:

Sunday, December 1Tree of Life of Life Pendant (left)Instructor: Bonni Poch
11:30am - 2:30pm

Monday, November 25, 2013

InspirationFXGet your creative juices flowingBakel-esqueby: Lee MetsaloWhen
we first got the bakelite pieces in, I kept visiting with them in
the store,
because they didn’t immediately tell me what they wanted to be in
my
world.

I had my aha!
moment while
perusing an issue of Atomic Ranch magazine.There is a certain amount of overlap historically in the
world of Bakelite
with all things mid-century modern – and it came together with the
help of the
large jumprings and a bit of wirework.This
necklace even sort of looks like the molecular structure of
Bakelite.I envision an
Audrey Hepburn-esque lady (doesn’t
have to be that slender!This
is a piece
that us “above average” folks can, ahem, display differently),
dressed in a black
turtleneck and black pants, wearing this necklace, with big
sunglasses, a black
purse hanging from her arm (bakelite handle?), and black boots.And off to the art gallery
we go.

Layering some of the pieces with thin, dark rings
and adding the beads wired into the ovals helps to lift this piece above
being a simple design of components and links. The order you put the
components together in is up to you - just have fun with it!

Components

Go to our components list for this project and to buy what you need! Need some help with some of the techniques? Check our tips page.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

There
I was, restocking the semi-precious stone section of the store – that did
it as usual for me. Ideas for our inspiration projects were in my head. While I
restocked, I stocked the components and this is one of the pieces I
came up with.

Simply
open a jumpring and insert it into a dark amber rondelle and close
the ring.

Repeat
Step 1 but before closing the ring, link it to the first closed one
and close the jumpring.

Repeat
Step 1 and 2 until you’ve used all 60 rondelles.

One
both sides of the necklace link 10 jumprings to form a chain.

On
one end attach the first part of the Adjustable Toggle.

Link
two 5mm Antique Copper 5mm jumprings to the bar part of the
Adjustable Toggle.

Using
the remaining jumprings make a chain, linking 2 jumprings to one as
you go along and insert it into the donut. Close the chain by
inserting 1 ring into 2 jumprings on either end, however, before
closing attach the single ring to the two jumprings at the centre of
the necklace.

Now
you’re on your way to enjoy your rondelles and a donut –
enjoy!!!!

Components

Go to our components list for this project and to buy what you need! Need some help with some of the techniques? Check our tips page.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Does this sound familiar? You went to a craft show and sold some work, did your happy dance and deposited the money in the bank. Because you’ve sold some work, you ran straight to the supply store to pick up those lovely shiny objects you’ve been coveting. Then you ordered some more supplies online, then paid for some business cards and sent a cheque with a craft show application. No problem, you’ve been selling work lately.

Meanwhile, your husband/wife looked at the bank account, saw money and paid some bills. And now you’re looking at the bank account and what the heck? Where’s the money?

You’re not sure how much money is going in or out. Budgeting is overwhelming. Costs are rising, and you're losing track of where you stand. You know you “should” be earning more based on sales volume.

In practice, you still can't make ends meet and you never seem to have enough cash in the bank. You wish you could run reports (expenses, income), but you can't access the figures (because it's all mixed together).

One of the biggest mistakes new entrepreneurs make is to mix their business and personal bank accounts. No matter how small your enterprise, if you sell ANYTHING, you are in business and in order to be in business successfully you must track every cent you make and spend.

Do yourself a favour and separate your personal and business bank accounts. No more co-mingling of accounts, no more gray area, no more personal checks for business expenses.

Whether you open a second personal account or a business account depends on where you are in your business career. Many makers who are just starting out haven’t yet registered their business, a business bank account requires that you be hold a Master Business License which you obtain by registering your business. (Registering your business is not legally required in Canada, you can sell under your name without registering).

Rarely is a business bank account free so for makers who are new, or who are selling very part-time, justifying the cost of a business account is hard. My suggestion for those who fit this category is to open a free personal account and use it for business only.

Make it your business bank account. Deposit ALL of your sales income into your business account. Pay ALL of your business expenses from this account. DO NOT pay any personal expenses from this account. If you want to pay yourself, move your “wages” to your personal account and note how much you are paying yourself. At the end of every month go over your bank statement with an eagle eye and make sure you know where every cent is.

Get a separate credit card to manage all expenses like online shop fees and PayPal transactions. Remember: A credit card is free as long as you pay off the balance every month, and there are plenty of cards out there with no annual membership fees.

By separating your accounts, your personal financial choices (good or bad) can’t affect your business — and vice versa. You'll also find you have better control and far more sanity when it comes to your finances.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Well - we're taking the plunge. We're diving into the Miyuki size 11 seedbeads. We've been carrying the Delica 11/0s and the Czech 11/0s for years, and the Toho 11/0 seedbeads, and now we are adding the Miyuki 11/0 seedbeads. Because, you just can't have enough. So now, if you can't find quite the right colour from one manufacturer, you can just check the other one.

And of course, like the Toho's, Miyuki has the same approach to consistency and quality, delivering excellent quality with a very low percentage of "duds."
This week, we've added about 60 new colours, of 200 or so in the "queue" - with the rest to follow soon. Happy Seedbeading!

I find it unbelievable that a brand New Year is lurking around the corner - where has 2013 gone? Looking back we've had more classes than ever and have expanded the jewellery-making techniques to go way beyond beading and basic metal work. In fact, as of October 31, we have held 232 classes and open sessions and have taught 1,106 students! 2013 is not finished yet - there are still lots of classes in November and December.

We're not resting on our laurels (although we're catching our breath over the holidays!) because we're introducing more classes in a wider variety of techniques to include mixed media and more advanced fiber work, metalwork, beadwork and lampwork. To kick off our 2014 classes, we are holding a special event so you can
come in a meet some of our BeadFX instructors and see for yourself the
amazing array of projects and techniques that will be offered.

Details will be published on the January class page as they develop, but for now, reserve the date and plan to come. Refreshments, of course, will be served and some surprises may await!

In 2014, we're also bringing in some visiting instructors such as Carol Cypher , Diane Dennis, Sue Charette-Hood, Leslee Frumin and Jodi Bombardier. Their dates and classes will be posted as soon as they are confirmed.

Thank you so much for your continued support and interest in our classes!